Redondo Beach. Redondo Beach’s history as a port dates back to the late 19th century, with talk of building a harbor there dating back to 1877.

By 1903, three wharves had been constructed, and traffic into the port was so brisk that ships often were lined up waiting to dock.

In the early 1900s, a succession of sailing ships fell victim to violent offshore storms. One of these was the Katie Flickenger, a 472-ton barkentine (a type of three-masted sailing ship).

The ship was anchored about 250 yards from Wharf No. 1 early in the morning of November 20, 1905, when a storm bearing 50-mph winds began to lash the port. The unloaded ship withstood the storm for several hours, but at 8:30 a.m. the starboard anchor began to drag.

Alarmed, the ship’s crew dropped the port anchor, but it didn’t hold, either, and only quick action by the tugboat Redondo kept the ship from colliding with Wharf No. 2.

Eventually, the Katie Fleckinger ran aground and was declared a total loss. Redondo lost its lengthy battle to become the official port of Los Angeles, a title bestowed on San Pedro in 1909.